Hollywood Rentals chooses ARRI lighting

Hollywood Rentals has served film and TV production for over three decades. Recently the lighting and grip facility made a large purchase of ARRI fixtures. As a vendor that deals heavily with lighting equipment and the crews that work with these tools day-in, day-out, their purchasing decisions must factor in product reliability, performance and the ability to hold up to the rigors of set life. From their Atlanta location, Hollywood Rentals is currently outfitting THE WALKING DEAD with a new package of ARRI lights. We had a chance to talk to Hollywood Rentals Vice President Joe Dougherty about these exciting developments.

ARRI has their finger on the pulse of the industry, developing products that readily meet the growing needs of today's gaffers and DPs.

Joe Dougherty
Vice President of Hollywood Rentals

What do you look for in the products you acquire?

Hollywood Rentals consistently stays knowledgeable of the newer products available to our market in the continuous effort to keep our inventory modernized and in-line with current technologies. It seems just as consistently, ARRI introduces new products, which quickly become the enthusiastic trend of our shared lighting industry. Therefore, much of what we look to purchase is based on that sense of popularity and crew preference…As a prominent rental house, HR recognizes its obligation to provide for its clients the newest and most celebrated products available within the marketplace.

HR made a large purchase of ARRI gear, can you describe what was bought and why?

Recently, HR purchased a substantial number of ARRI products. We dedicated a considerable amount of the HMIs, tungsten and new line of ARRI products to the famed show, THE WALKING DEAD. Upon wrapping Season 3 of THE WALKING DEAD we committed to awarding this respected crew with all new HMIs comprising of the preferred ARRI brand. The purchase included many T12 units, Pocket PARs and some tungsten units. Additionally, we invested in new 12K PAR HMIs and 575 PAR HMIs; we also were pleased to add to our inventories more ARRIMAX units, ARRI M18s as well as a number of ARRI M40s, which is already esteemed by crew and directors of photography. Earlier, we had purchased a number of ARRI L7 units, and we anticipate acquiring more in the very near future.

THE WALKING DEAD is an ambitious show with a huge following. What is it like equipping this zombie thriller?

Prior to season 3 of THE WALKING DEAD the production constructed their interior sets and prison sets at Raleigh Studios (sister company to HR), in Senoia, GA, virtually converting and facing the entire studio into its “undead world. ” Everywhere one treaded on our studio (taking caution to step over the occasional pile of zombie guts), THE WALKING DEAD setting was the sight. The show also used the Mayberry-esque town of Senoia for much of its backdrop. Owing to expert planning and scheduling by producers Tom Luse, Jolly Dale and their production team -- and thanks to talented set lighting crew Rick Crank (gaffer) and Gary Holmes (rigging gaffer) -- what had the potential of being particularly challenging only presented itself as smooth sailing last season…We expect [the same for] Season 4.

What would you like to see in future ARRI products?

Hollywood Rentals anxiously anticipates the next product or line of products ARRI releases to the market such as the M90, which HR expects to purchase promptly upon its availability. ARRI has their finger on the pulse of the industry, developing products that readily meet the growing needs of today's gaffers and DPs. Hollywood Rentals is always excited to bring the latest ARRI products to the crews who reliably request them.